New Bike!

I'm really getting into biking now. It's a great way to stay in shape and a lot of fun. It also meets one of my goals of minimizing fossil fuel use.

So here's a photo of the new bike, a 2008 Gary Fisher X-Caliber 29er. It's on order and will be here soon.The bike is a 29er, meaning it has 29" wheels. Regular mountain bikes have 26" wheels and have been built that way since they were invented in the late 70's/early 80's. The first mountain bikes were fabricated from used bike parts. The 26" design was more of a "use what is available" approach instead of an engineered design.

Twenty-nine inch wheels are relatively new - only on the market for about five years - and are starting to have a large market share. The larger wheel has several advantages, one of which is decreased angle of attack. For small bumps, rocks, and tree roots, the wheels will roll over the obstacle easier and less speed will be lost. This ultimately saves energy for use somewhere else (can you say hills?). The large wheels also have a larger contact patch with the ground, resulting in better traction on steep climbs and better cornering without losing control. The smoother and more in-control ride results in slightly faster average speeds than a 26" bike and less fatigue over long distances.

As a downside, the bike weighs more. The bigger wheels add a pound or two of weight. Since the weight is on the far outside edge of the wheel farther from the axle center, more energy is required to spin the wheels up to speed. There are different opinions on how much this affects the rider (and I intend to analyze the difference mathematically in another post). It will definitely take more energy to accelerate the bike up to speed compared to a similar 26" bike. The bike still weighs pounds less than my current mountain bike.

I'm looking forward to the new ride. This will be my first bike sized to fit with high quality components. The 27 speed drive will give me more choices in cadence while riding. Hydraulic disc brakes will eliminate mud and water from decreasing brake performance. Check back to find out how it rides!